The Tigers get another star in Henry

ONE MAJOR ADD, ONE MAJOR DROP

It was good news and bad news for major college programs at the end of the week, as UCLA gained and Georgetown lost. The Bruins, capitalizing on the retirement of Arizona coach Lute Olson, won out for a former Wildcats pledge in OR WF Mike Moser.

Moser's reputation as a top-100 prospect was cemented relatively late in the recruiting cycle, because he performed so well during his senior summer. He's a good athlete who's very good in the open floor, and he'll bring added firepower to the UCLA lineup. more...

"He's probably going to get up to Stanford for this season, and he's supposed to visit Duke around Thanksgiving."

-- Fred Benjamin, on Jason Morris
Read story. ...

HURRICANES, SOONERS SCORE

Miami and Oklahoma became two more high-majors to earn outstanding pledges in the closing moments of signing week. Miami became the future destination of NY WG/WF Durand Scott, who chose the Hurricanes over Pittsburgh, UConn and many other Eastern powers.

Scott is a tough and athletic wing who should thrive in Miami's aggressive defensive system. He's also a capable scorer who tends to be streaky, but nevertheless has enjoyed some big moments on the national circuit the past couple of years. more...

Rankings & School Lists Select Item - Class Of - 2009 2010 2011 2008 2008JC 2007 2007JC 2006 2006JC 2005 2005JC 2004 2003 2003JC 2002 2002JC 2001 2001JC      Derrick Favors retains the top spot in 2009. Check out our top-10 player rankings from the past. You'll recognize a lot of these names. Program Profiles Select Item Alabama Arizona Arkansas Auburn California Charlotte Cincinnati Clemson UConn DePaul Duke Florida FSU G'town Georgia Ga. Tech Illinois Indiana Iowa Iowa State Kansas Kentucky Louisville Marquette Maryland UMass Memphis Miami Michigan Michigan St. Missouri UNC NCSU Notre Dame Ohio State Oklahoma Okla. State Pittsburgh Providence Purdue Rutgers St. John's Seton Hall S. Carolina So. Cal Stanford Syracuse Tenn. Texas UCLA Villanova Virginia Wake Forest Washington W. Va.      TimeTravel: 1980 Top Recruiting Classes Parade of Programs: Conference breakdown from the Recruiter's Handbook Event Coverage Select Item NCAA Calendar      Event Calendar: PrepStars.com features a comprehensive event calendar, courtesy of the NCAA

MEMPHIS WINS OUT FOR HENRY
November 18, 2008

Memphis beat out Kansas for elite senior wing Xavier Henry, one of the most talented and celebrated members of the Class of 2009. Of course, prior to narrowing his list of finalists to a pair, Henry had attracted scholarship offers from essentially every school that thought it could land him.

Henry is a terrific southpaw scorer who drills threes yet also is very strong and is a good slasher and scorer off the dribble. Additionally, he passes and handles the ball well, and his instincts for the game are superb. He is both an excellent college and -- because he possesses the requisite size at 6-6 -- wing guard NBA prospect. more...

GATORS GAIN TALENTED JUNIOR
November 17, 2008

Now that the signing period has wound down for seniors, much more attention will be paid to the Class of 2010. Among the many schools to tap into the talent pool is Florida, which locked up in-state stud Patric Young, who chose the Gators over serious interest from a host of SEC and ACC schools.

Based on toughness and work ethic, Young was one of the most impressive players we observed this past summer. He is extremely physical and plays with a reckless style that does result in some poor plays, yet he also gets much of that back because of his relentless hustle. more...

SNAER CHOOSES SEMINOLES
November 14, 2008

Florida State gained a huge piece on Friday, getting the nod from elite CA WG/WF Michael Snaer. Snaer, who became one of the country's hottest commodities during the summer, chose the Seminoles over co-finalists Kansas and Marquette.

Snaer is the latest blue-chipper to announce for Leonard Hamilton's program. Last year FSU raised eyebrows by getting top-15 GA BF Chris Singleton, and now yet another big-timer is headed to Tallahassee. more...

FALL SIGNING PERIOD RANKINGS
November 12, 2008

The fall signing period has arrived, and we've charted out our top 25 recruiting classes thus far. As has been the case on numerous occasions throughout the past few decades, North Carolina checks in at No. 1, and this year they didn't even have a real competitor.

The Tar Heels locked up their class early and haven't looked back, gaining a quintet of high-major talent -- and two potential stars in John Henson and Dexter Strickland -- to help them revamp in what is likely to be a rebuilding year in 2009-10. more...

SIGNING DAY NEARS; QUIET PREVAILS
November 11, 2008

The fall signing period begins on Wednesday, but there isn't likely to be a ton of drama. Because most major commitments already have been announced, there are likely to be only a few more primary concerns prior to making all these decisions formal. That said, there has been a continued high rate of underclass commitments, and to be sure there will be at least some drama among seniors.

For now, though, let's take a look at the latest. Clemson became the latest ACC school to land a junior -- and the conference has done stellar as a whole with the Class of 2010 -- as the Tigers scored with GA BF Marcus Thornton, who chose the Tigers over other ACC programs Maryland and Wake Forest, among others. more...

JOHNSON, WILLIAMS DECIDE
November 6, 2008

Oklahoma State stepped into North Carolina and yanked out one of the nation's best raw athletes: NC BF Karron Johnson, one of the most physically gifted players in the Class of 2009.

Strong and athletic, he has tremendous upside provided he has his academics in order. Along with that, he plays hard and is a strong and aggressive at-range forward who eventually may be able to play the wing. In the meantime, he can count on early playing time thanks to a very mean style that will endear him to coaches throughout the remainder of his career. more...

NOW IN NOVEMBER, COMMITS CONTINUE
November 3, 2008

With so few major players left on the board from the Class of 2009, it's starting to resemble a crawl as we near the finish line in the November signing period. That slowdown particularly has been caused by the determination of some prospects to wait it out until spring.

In the meantime, however, there still is news occurring throughout the land. To start, there was a pair of key junior commitments to transpire. MD BF Jordan Latham committed to Xavier, and this obvious high-major talent may find that his stock increases over the next year. Latham is a talented, fluid big man whose best basketball may be years away. more...

BOYNTON CHOOSES FLORIDA
October 30, 2008

After a lengthy recruitment that saw him consider Duke, Georgia Tech, Southern Cal, Texas and others, FL WG/PG Kenny Boynton announced on Thursday night for Florida. The Sunshine State native formed a close bond with the Gators' coaching staff over years, and that along with UF's strong national profile gave UF the nod in one of the most important recruitments of the year.

Florida continues to rank among the nation's most potent programs on the recruiting trail, and Boynton may become an additional bonus because of that fact that he's a little small for the ideally-sized WG in the NBA, yet he isn't truly a PG, either. That said, he should become one of the nation's most explosive backcourt scorers for as long as he is in Gainesville. more...

EXPANDED SENIOR RANKINGS

For the most part, our Class of 2009 rankings have remained unchanged since the post-summer. That said, however, we've expanded the rankings from a top 100 to a top 200, including those high-majors who may not have quite cracked the most elite group in the country.

Additionally, we've completed a comprehensive update of commitments and school lists, so feel free to click here and take a spin!

GADDY HEADS TO WASHINGTON
October 29, 2008

It didn't take WA PG Abdul Gaddy long to recover from the sudden retirement of Lute Olson. The elite guard and former two-time Arizona commitment now has backed off that pledge for good and is set for Washington.

The Huskies obviously are thrilled to gain a commitment from the Tacoma product, particularly because it appeared for months that he was a lost cause. U-W has recruited very well under coach Lorenzo Romar, and Gaddy is just the latest piece of the puzzle. more...

RUSSELL, OTHERS COMMIT
October 28, 2008

While there were have been some commitments following this past weekend's visits, the pace obviously is slowing due to the sheer dwindling numbers involved. Because so many players already have decided, it's now coming down to the wire for those major prospects who still are out there.

Likely the most significant pledge was delivered by TX WG/PG Nick Russell, who chose Kansas State over Texas Tech, Iowa and others. Russell is skilled and versatile, and he's above-average in terms of quickness as well. While he isn't a pure scorer, his multi-dimensional abilities should enable him to contribute early in Manhattan. more...

MORE NEWS, COMMITS
October 24, 2008

The obvious top story in college basketball the past couple days has been the sudden retirement of legendary Arizona coach Lute Olson. Olson's departure from the Wildcats cast great uncertainty onto 'Zona's recruiting class, at least until they name a new coach.

Namely, what will happen with WA PG Abdul Gaddy, OR WF Mike Moser and CA WG/WF Solomon Hill? Well, the first salvo was fired by Moser, who said that he was de-committing from Arizona. Gaddy also is considering his options, and Hill has said he is backing away from the program as well. more...

BATTLE OF THE RANKINGS: PART II
October 23, 2008

Our second report on the Battle for the Rankings event, held in Orlando and hosted by Team Breakdown, covers the classes of 2011 and 2012.

While there were no future superstars like an Austin Rivers to be discovered, there was certainly enough talent that projected to land somewhere on the Division I level that it demanded its own report. more...

BATTLE OF THE RANKINGS: PART I
October 21, 2008

ORLANDO -- Arguably, the most anticipated exposure event in Florida during the fall is the Breakdown Battle for the Rankings, held at the Champions Sports Complex in Orlando. Hosted by Breakdownmagazine.com, it brings players from as far away as Pensacola to the north and Miami in the south for two days of competition among some of the best high school basketball players in the state. The talent level and competition has always been top notch, and this year was no different.

In this report, we've focused on the upperclassmen from the event. more...

MAJOR WEEKEND BRINGS MAJOR COMMITS
October 20, 2008

College basketball's new year began this past weekend, and as is the annual tradition, official and unofficial visits took place throughout the country. Along with that, the annual tradition of key commitments followed accordingly.

Kansas, which during the summer had no commitments, despite its national championship, now has two potential McDonald's All-Americans in the fold. In addition to rugged NH BF Thomas Robinson, the Jayhawks now are expected to land a commitment from NV PG/WG Elijah Johnson, who chose KU over co-finalists Oklahoma and Texas.

Elsehwere, Oklahoma gained the services of tough BF Andrew Fitzgerald. more...

POWELL A MAJOR JUNIOR ATTRACTION
October 16, 2008

For high-major big man Dwight Powell, the attention comes easy. And so does the basketball. The 6-9 BF at Bradenton (FL) IMG has skyrocketed in the eyes of coaches and scouts over the past several months, and he enters the high school season competing for a spot in the national top 40 in the Class of 2010.

Powell's path hasn't been entirely typical. A native of Canada, he competed this summer for Grassroots Canada, one of the nation's most successful club teams in 2008. He also attended high-profile individual camps such as the Pangos All-American Camp. more...

DALLAS JUCO BLOWOUT: PART II
October 15, 2008

In our second and final installment of our report from the Dallas junior college event last weekend, you'll read about more new names and some quick-hitters that may evolve into major stories during the upcoming 2008-09 season.

Let's take a look! more...

DALLAS JUCO BLOWOUT: PART I
October 14, 2008

DALLAS -- While there are still some high school events that dot the landscape of grassroots basketball during the month of October, it also has emerged as the month of the juco prospect. With junior college jamborees taking place across the country, college coaches are traveling in big numbers to watch multiple junior college programs hit the floor.

No other jamboree, though, is likely to match the turnout of college coaches -- we counted at least 91 Division I programs -- and stocked junior college programs who were in the North Dallas suburbs over the weekend for Jerry Mullen and Mike Mitchell's Dallas JUCO Blowout. more...

ORTON, TYLER COMMIT
October 13, 2008

As expected, more and more big names in the Class of 2009 are making their college decisions heading into the fall signing period. However, what wasn't expected was that a top-five junior also would offer up a pledge.

Starting with the seniors, and as expected, Kentucky reeled in big-time OK C Daniel Orton, a strong and intimidating post pivot who chose UK over interest from Kansas -- which recently added BF Thomas Robinson -- and many others. more...

SOUTH FLORIDA GUARD TO 2010
October 10, 2008

Rather than waiting until the end of his senior year, Homestead (FL) South Dade's Vincent Williams has already made one decision. The quick 5-11 PG has already decided that he'll spend a post graduate year at Fork Union (VA) Military next year, making him a Class of 2010 prospect.

According to his high school coach, John Herron, the move will help his maturity on the court. more...

HAMILTON, ROBINSON PLEDGE
October 10, 2008

After recently gaining a pledge from big-time guard Avery Bradley, Texas picked off another elite talent, getting the nod from CA WF Jordan Hamilton, one of the most explosive shooters in the Class of 2009.

Hamilton long had been considered a favorite to UT, and along with Bradley he gives the 'Horns an elite wing combination. Hamilton also considered Kansas, UConn and many others in addition to UT. more...

KELLY CHOOSES DEVILS; MORE NEWS
October 9, 2008

Duke's post-Olympic momentum continues. The Blue Devils, surging in the wake of Coach K's successful stint as Team USA's head coach, have regained footing on the recruiting trail after what had been for them a somewhat quiet stretch. On Thursday, big-time NC BF Ryan Kelly chose Duke over Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, North Carolina and Georgetown.

Kelly's decision was one of the more protracted and carefully considered among blue-chippers in the senior class, and with added strength he should become an outstanding face-up big man for Duke. more...

"Right now he's in a holding pattern because he's waiting for Fresno State to release him."
October 9, 2008

-- Jason Smith, on Reggie Moore

LOUISIANA WORKOUT REPORT
October 7, 2008

RUSTON, La. -- The first annual Louisiana Select Workout & Exposure Camp took place last weekend on the campus of Louisiana Tech. The camp, which featured approximately 75 players, was a highly useful showcase of players from the Bayou State.

Even without the benefit of non-hurricane weather over the past few weeks, a solid number of the state's best prospects turned out for a full day of action. Backed by Nike, Louisiana Select has featured 2008 star Greg Monroe and others over the years. more...

BEASLEY RAISES PROFILE
October 6, 2008

Among the players we've watched thus far this fall, one of the most improved has been Terrance Beasley. Beasley, a 6-5 BF at Pensacola (FL) High, was one of the most impressive -- and in some aspects surprising -- players at the recent Nike Team Florida workout.

Beasley is a junkyard dog in the post, and despite being significantly undersized he uses his athleticism and impressive work ethic to compete against taller players. Additionally, Beasley boasts a strong set of hands that enable him to snag balls that elude other big guys. more...

NIKE TEAM FLORIDA WORKOUT: PART II
October 2, 2008

Yesterday we looked at players from the classes of 2009 and 2010 who participated at last weekend's Nike Team Florida Shootout in Clearwater. In our second and final look at the best prospects from the event, we've taken a stab at prospects in the sophomore and freshman classes.

These guys won't graduate until 2011 and 2012 respectively, but as always it's beneficial and fun to get an early look at emerging talent. more...

WHITE FLYING HIGH THIS FALL
October 1, 2008

With a 6-6 wingspan, a 40-inch vertical leap and a 3.9 GPA, one would think that assistant and head college coaches would be lining up at Darren White's door. But the 6-3 wing guard from Ringgold (VA) Dan River didn't play for one of the high profile club teams this past summer and getting noticed has taken a little longer than expected.

"He's been offered by James Madison, Elon, Northeastern, Radford and High Point," said Cobra All-Stars head coach Curtis Green. "Some of the bigger schools that are starting to take a greater interest in him are Oregon, Stanford, Michigan and Harvard. He's an excellent student and a true diamond in the rough when it comes to basketball." more...

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